"Red-Headed Vulture and Long-Billed Vulture", Folio from the Shah Jaha

A dark red-headed vulture stands in the foreground beside a pale grey, long-billed vulture on a warm, sandy ground. Fine brushwork renders the feathers, and the painting sits within gilded panels and a blue border patterned with gold flowers.

Look closer: A small reddish-pink bird's head or carcass detail appears on the ground near the red-headed vulture's feet.

Artist

Mansur

Date

verso: ca. 1615–20; recto: ca. 1535–45

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

1218 × 1860 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Rogers Fund and The Kevorkian Foundation Gift, 1955